Fife



Feb. 22, 1927.

N. T. E. SKINNER FIFE Filed March 11, 1926 qxhhw Qtwaf a Guam u a Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

NOAH T. E. SKINNER, F NEWARK, OHIO.

FIFE.

Application filed March 11, 1926. Serial No. 93,995.

The invention relates to improvements in musical wind instruments and the present disclosure is directed to a fife. It has been .my aim, for some time, to produce a fife having more. carrying power than the instruments heretofore devised, and I have discovered that by making the wind passage or tube of the instrument of polysided form, preferably square, the desired end is attained. Hence, one feature of novelty in the present application, is the wind passage formed in this manner.

In providing a fife, or the like having a flat sided tube, a special construction is necl5 essary in order that the blow hole may be readily accessible to wind currents from the niusicians mouth. It is therefore another object to provide such special construction, in a simple and inexpensive manner.

A still further aim is to provide exceptionally simple and inexpensive, yet efiicient seats around the tone openings of the wind tube.

With the foregoing in view the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

I igures 1 and 2 are elevations looking 1n different directions.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on line 33 of Fig. 2. I Figures 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sections on the correspondingly numbered lines of as Fig. 1.

The numeral 7 on the drawing designates the wind tube ofthe fife, said tube being polygonal in transverse section. In the present showing, this tube possesses four right angles'in transverse section and preferably the cross-sectional shape is truly square as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. 1

Within one end portion of the tube 7 is a plug 8 which is frictionally held in place and maybe longitudinally adjusted when initially tuning the instrument. Spaced inwardly from this plug, one flat side of the tube 7, is formed with a restricted portion 9, which is transversely convex but longitudinally straight, the blow hole 10 being formed in this restricted portion. Preferably, the portion 9 is formed from an elongated segment of a cylindrical tube, said segment being soldered or otherwise secured in a slot 11 formed in the tube 7. Portions of the tube, at the ends of this slot, may well be bulged outwardly as at 12 for convenient and tight connection with the ends of the cylindrical tube segment.

At appropriate points, the tube 7 is formed with the usual tone openings 13, said openings being formed in one of the fiat sides of said tube. To provide finger seats around these openings, I make use of flat metal washers 1 1 which are soldered or oth erwise secured to the exterior of the tube. Raised finger seats are thus provided in a simple and inexpensive manner.

In rigid tests in ordinary drum corps work, a fife constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, has proven to possess more carrying power than any other fife heretofore devised, and it is my belief that this improved result is due to the polygonal form of the tube 7 A tube which in transverse section possesses four right angles, in my opinion gives a better result than one in which the angles are more obtuse. More'- over, I believe when the tube is absolutely square in cross-section, the best results are obtainable.

While excellent results have been obtained from the exact construction and relation shown, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes and that within the scope of the invention as claimed, it is possible that variations may be made. Moreover, I do not consider that my improvements are restricted only to fifes. Furthermore, while the openings 13 and washers 14 are shown of diflerent sizes,'they could be of uniform size if desired. Both arrangements are known to the art.

I claim: k-

1. A musical wind instrument having a polygonal wind tube formed with tone openings, said tube having a restricted portion which is transversely convex but longitudinally straight, said restricted portion having a blow hole.

2. A musical wind instrument having a wind tube of square cross-section, one flat side of said tube having tone openings, said tube having in one flat side a restricted portion which is transversely convex but convex side disposed outwardly and posilongitudinally straight, said restricted portioned beyond said flat side, said segment tion having a blow hole. being formed with a blow hole.

3. In a musical wind instrument, a wind In testimony whereof I have hereunto aftube provided With a flat side having a slot, fixed my signature. an elongated segment of a cylindrical tube secured in said slot said segment having its NOAH T. E. SKINNER. 

